Manchu is a nation that pays great attention to etiquette. Manchu people have various manners when meeting or visiting guests, including saluting with a thousand hands, touching temples, holding hands, holding hands, kneeling down, kowtowing and so on. Among them, thousands of gifts, hugs and kowtows are mainly used by men, while others are used by women. The younger generation is used to treat the elders and subordinates of the officers. The form is to play the arrow sleeve, the left knee bends forward, the right leg bends slightly, the left hand is placed on the left knee, and the right hand hangs down to say hello. Hugging ceremony is for peers, and the younger generation can also give it to the elders, but the younger generation should hold the waist of the elder, and the elder should caress the back of the younger generation, and so on. Now, some complicated manners have been simplified.

The Manchu tradition of respecting the elderly is more obvious. The younger generation should greet their parents and ancestors every morning and evening, and make way for their elders on the way. When eating, the elders should sit first and eat first. Manchu attaches great importance to feelings and righteousness, treats people sincerely, holds banquets for guests, and keeps his word.

The traditional wedding ceremony of Manchu is complicated, which generally goes through the procedures of media, release, drawing lots, delivering boxes, welcoming relatives, visiting the church, offering sacrifices to ancestors, dividing the size and returning to the door.

Through the media, the man's family asked the matchmaker to propose marriage to the woman's family. After the families of both parties agree, they will make a small decision, that is, the man's family will send Ruyi or hairpin as a gift. Then there is engagement, that is, choosing an auspicious day. Relatives in the husband's family asked the name of the woman's family, and the woman's family hosted a banquet. The man's parents spoke to propose marriage, and the woman's family repeatedly thanked him. The husband's family insisted on proposing marriage, and the woman's family agreed to get married. At this time, the man should worship the woman's family and her elders. It is also a good day for wedding gifts, such as clothes, silks, satins, sheep and geese. The man's family will also give money. It's time to set a wedding date. At the wedding reception stage, the bride's family will accompany the dowry on the day before the wedding, commonly known as "passing the box", and the groom will thank her family. In the wedding ceremony, the groom is accompanied by the wedding procession. When two cars go wrong on the way, the bride's brother carries the bride on the groom's float, commonly known as "jumping off the car" (due to the different Manchu customs in different regions, the groom and the wedding procession also go directly to the bride's house to celebrate the wedding. In other places, there is a saying that "the flag custom does not greet relatives." When the bride arrives at the groom's house, she changes cars and takes a sedan chair. When the sedan chair lands, the groom will shoot three arrows for nothing. The bride got off the sedan chair with a red hijab, stood with the groom in front of the heaven and earth table placed in the yard in advance, and bowed to the north three times, commonly known as worshipping Beidou, that is, worshiping heaven and earth. After the worship, the bride retreated to the table of heaven and earth and entered the makeshift tent. This is called paying the bill. When sitting on the bill, "open your face" and change your head. After sitting the bill, the bride stepped over the saddle and entered the bridal chamber. The groom took off the hijab with a scale and threw it on the eaves. Couples toast, eat happy noodles and children's cakes, and everyone makes trouble in the bridal chamber. On the night of the wedding day, the bride and groom will worship their ancestors. On the first day after marriage, the bride gives cigarettes and tea to relatives in her husband's family, worships the clan and recognizes the generation, which is called size. Generally, after three days of marriage, the husband and wife go back to the woman's house to visit their parents and worship their ancestors. A month after marriage, the bride went back to her parents' home to live for a month, and stopped for a month. By this time, the wedding was over.

These complicated marriage procedures have been simplified in today's Manchu inhabited areas and integrated with modern forms. For example, getting on the bus evolved into young men and women riding bicycles or motorcycles. Accompanied by a free wedding team, they started from their own homes and exchanged bicycles or motorcycles when they met halfway, and went to the groom's home together. There are ancestors, and some places have evolved into newcomers to worship their parents. Although it has changed, it still has strong national characteristics. In addition, the wedding ceremony of Manchu people varies slightly due to different living areas, but the main procedures are roughly the same.

The parenting customs of Manchu are quite special. Boys hang bows and arrows on the left side of the door, girls hang colored strips on the right side of the door, and parents send recreational vehicles. Three days after giving birth, relatives and friends send gifts, commonly known as "milk delivery". And held a baptism, called "washing three." At the full moon, please "make a full moon", take down the bow and arrow or cloth and hang it on the "descendants rope". In one hundred days, we should weave a lock with colored strips of cloth from each family, which is called a padlock. At the age of one, a more solemn ceremony should be held to let the children "catch up with the week". General 16 years old, boys have shaved their heads and girls have bun. Today, traditional customs such as "giving milk", "washing three dishes", "making a full moon" and "grasping the week" still exist in Manchu inhabited areas in Northeast China.

Funeral custom

Burial and cremation are the main forms of Manchu funeral with a long history. Before Manchu entered the customs, cremation was the main reason, mainly because they migrated frequently. Coupled with the death of soldiers in the Eight Banners in the early Qing Dynasty, it was inconvenient to send the bones back to their hometown, so cremation was adopted. After the Manchu entered the customs, it gradually changed, from cremation to burial. The funeral ceremony is the shroud worn by the deceased before his death, mostly robes and jackets, which are single. The spirit stays in the house, usually within 7 days. Make a Zhang Ling bed with wooden boards, with the head facing west and feet facing east. The coffin was made of red cloth about 3 feet long, decorated with black spikes, and hung on a high pole in the yard. The coffin used by Manchu people has a special shape, which is upturned, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, and is called "flag material".

During the mourning period, the family members observed a moment of silence and held a memorial service. At the time of burial, gold and silver were put in the coffin, and the poor people used gold and silver foil ingots instead, with copper coins or jade articles in their mouths, and the coffin was placed in the Peng Ling in the courtyard. There are 16 bars, 32 bars, and 64 bars in the lunar funeral. After the funeral, thank the people who helped and invite them to dinner. After burial, burn paper in front of the grave every 7 days for 7 times in a row. Burn for a hundred days, burn for the anniversary. Manchu burning paper is to fold paper into pockets, commonly known as burning pockets. Tomb-Sweeping Day wants to go to the grave, burn his pocket and stick a Buddha in it. In the past 30 years, the funeral of Manchu has been changed to cremation. However, there are still many ancient traditions in the ceremony of paying homage to relatives, such as burning pockets, offering sacrifices by inserting Buddha, burning for seven days, burning for a hundred days, burning for the anniversary and so on in Tomb-Sweeping Day.

taboo

Manchu people have many taboos. Blasphemy against gods and ancestors is not allowed. For example, in Xigui of Manchu, ancestors' boxes are placed on Xikang, and people and sundries are not allowed to live there, and there can be no disrespect. It is forbidden to beat dogs, kill dogs, eat dog meat and wear dog fur hats, and foreigners are not allowed to wear dog fur hats into their homes. Legend has it that Nurhachi once said to his people, "There are many wild animals in the mountains, and you can eat as much as you want, but you are not allowed to eat dog meat or wear dog skin in the future. The dog is dead, you should bury it, because it is an upright dog. " Since then, it has become the habit of Manchu to love and respect dogs. In addition, Manchu people not only don't eat the meat of crows, but also feed crows and offer sacrifices to crows.